This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Description: Due to the incredible wealth of biological sequence and structural information generated in recent years, the use of computational methods has become an invaluable tool for the molecular, genetic, and evolutionary scientist. Numerous computational techniques have become available for searching biological databases, analyzing sequence data, and predicting protein structure and function. This class will provide students with an in-depth look at how these resources work. A hands-on approach to learning these programs will be coupled with discussions of the models and assumptions used to generate them. Representatives from the National Resource for Biomedical Supercomputing, the Biological Sciences and Chemistry Departments (University of Pittsburgh), and the Department of Computational Biology (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) will present lectures on their areas of expertise. Objectives: To provide students with a thorough understanding of current computational techniques available to biological and biomedical scientists. This will be accomplished through lectures from experts in the field, coupled with lab sessions where students will interact with the resources discussed in class. Student comprehension of computational biology concepts will be assessed through two exams during the course of the semester. Student utilization of computational resources will be assessed through individual projects which will evolve through the course of the semester. In addition, students will be exposed to a variety of research avenues available to the computational scientist.